About 11:15 a.m. the thief, wearing a white handkerchief to shield his face, demanded money while pointing a pistol at three clerks at the gas station at 1161 Embarcadero Road, according to police Agent Marianna Villaescusa.

The station clerks, a man in his 50s, and two women in their 30s and 40s, handed over the cash in the register.

Police said the suspect then drove away in a newer gray Acura MDX sport utility vehicle and was last seen entering the southbound on-ramp to U.S. Highway 101.

Surveillance photos show the suspect as a black man standing about six feet tall with a thin build. He was wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood over his head, dark pants and a handkerchief over his face.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the incident is asked to contact the Palo Alto Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.